SNB Appoints Martin Brown as New Chief Economist Amid Leadership Shake-Up

The Swiss National Bank has announced that Martin Brown will take over as its new Head of Economic Affairs on October 1, 2026. Brown replaces Carlos Lenz, who plans to retire at the end of the year after serving in this role since 2015.

Brown currently directs the SNB Foundation's Study Center Gerzensee, a position he has held since 2022. This move can be seen as an inside hire, given Brown's seven years working at the SNB from 2004 to 2011 and his current role leading the bank's in-house think tank for monetary policy research.

The Head of Economic Affairs plays a crucial role at the SNB, analyzing economic conditions and preparing interest-rate proposals that go before the three-member Governing Board. With Brown joining, the bank's top decision-making apparatus will have been almost entirely reshuffled within a two-year window, following the recent appointment of Martin Schlegel as chair in October 2024.